Downtime on the Normandy
by Hazen S. Redfield
Summary: As the Reaper forces continue to attack, Commander Shepard has a new love, new friends, and new challenges awaiting aboard the Normandy.
1. Chapter 1

Part I

Up in the Captain's Cabin of the Normandy SR-2, Commander Shepard rolled over in bed, pulling the covers closer to her. She scrunched her face and stretched out her legs as she snuggled down further into the mattress. She took a deep breath, stretched again, and turned onto her back. Beside her another body stirred and Shepard felt an arm fall across her chest. She opened her eyes and smiled as her mate snuggled closer, seeking comfort in the Commander's presence.

"Good morning, Sam," she said.

With her eyes closed Communications Specialist Samantha Traynor grumbled something indiscernible and buried more of her face into Shepard's chest.

"Hey, it's time to wake up," Shepard said.

"Five more minutes…"

"That's all the time I would need, y'know," Shepard teased as she brushed her fingers through Samantha's hair and down her back.

"Not this morning, Alex," Sam said. "My legs are still stiff this because of you."

That made Shepard chuckle, but she was good and only cuddled tighter with Samantha.

As Shepard lay back against the plush pillows she looked down into Samantha's dark eyes and smiled. She hadn't had reason to show any happiness in a long time, and her body almost rejected the movement as something wrong and foreign. Ever since leaving Kaidan Alenko on Virmire, a part of Alexia Shepard was missing. She knew the part of her heart and soul that could love had gone up in that nuclear blast with the Lieutenant, and that it was never coming back. But something was different now. She hadn't lost her romance; it was only badly damaged.

Samantha Traynor was something very special. She not only brought a smile to Shepard's face, but put a flutter in her heart and a feeling of being truly accepted and cared for. The orgasms were a nice touch, too. The sound of Samantha's voice brought her back to reality, pulling her away from her private thoughts.

"Sorry, what was that?" Shepard said.

"I was asking you to tell me more about the Blitz," Samantha replied. She always knew when Shepard was thinking deeply about something and was losing herself into the locked vault of her inner thoughts.

"That seems like such a long time ago. When Harbinger and the other Reapers are taking down entire planets in a matter of days, an army of slavers, pirates, and mercs seems like a casual walk through the park," Shepard said, leaning further back into the pillows.

"But thank God you were there, Alex. You saved the colony and a lot of lives."

"If only I could save that many now…"

"Hey, don't do that to yourself. You are the only hero we have and the only person who can lead us through this. You will defeat the Reapers and stop their cycle forever this time. I believe in you, and so does every other person on this ship."

"Thank you, Sam. Really." Shepard leaned down and kissed her.

After their kiss pulled apart Samantha looked at Shepard with a renewed twinkle in her eyes. "So, why not tell me about all the arses you kicked down there?"

Chuckling again, Shepard looked off towards the far wall as she relived the memory of The Skyllian Blitz. "I was barely more than a kid myself then. My first tour of duty with the Alliance had come to an end, but I signed on for another. My parents were Alliance and it was the only thing I could see myself doing. So, I dedicated another four years of my life and my unit was given our first shore leave of the year. We decided to land on Elysium for who knows what reason."

"Then the attack began, right?"

"Not right away. We were there a few days before the attack hit. The bastards had the element of surprise and did a lot of damage before we realized what was going on. They obviously weren't expecting a platoon of Alliance Marines to be there, but they still had the size and surprise advantage."

"You make it sound like you lost, but everyone knows that didn't happen."

Shepard looked down to Samantha again and for the first time since they had met the Commander gave her a hard look. "War stories always tell the good parts and put their heroes on a podium. They conveniently leave out all the darkness and horrors. When you've seen a batarian slaver beating people with a prod and shoving them into cages, or you've seen vorcha mercs eating people while their krogan overseers look on and laugh, then you know what horrors are. You never forget the people you lost, the ones you couldn't save."

Samantha only nodded and looked away. "I'm sorry, Alex. I wanted to hear about you righting wrongs and fighting for justice and freedom. I didn't mean to make you relive that…"

"Hey, look at me," Shepard said. When Samantha met her stare Shepard took her face in her hands and smiled. "There were bad things that happened during the Blitz, but I can tell you about things you want to hear. I had some freelancers, humans if you can believe it, pinned down behind storage crates when this krogan comes running in. He tosses a burnt out assault rifle on the ground – this was before thermal clips, of course – and he sees me. He huffs up, puffs out his chest, and cries out, 'A human female is besting my men? Weryloc Shank will not stand for this!'" Shepard accentuated the story by mimicking the krogan's physical motions as well as his voice and demeanor.

The sounds of Samantha's laughter filled the cabin as she fell backwards, holding her sides. "You sound just like a krogan, Alex! Hahahaha! Did he really say that?"

Smiling and laughing Shepard nodded. "He did. He looks at the freelancers and then begins to plod across the room toward me. I knew my shotgun would only piss him off even more, so I bunkered down and did the only thing I could think to do: I hit him with a full Biotic Charge! The last thing Shank expected was for the "human female" to come barreling at him at top speed and bowl him over. The big krogan cracked his skull and the freelancers broke and ran."

"What happened to them?"

"They didn't get very far. By that point the Alliance reinforcements had shown up and the tide began to turn. You know the rest of what happened."

"I don't know how you do it, Alex." Samantha said, nibbling on her lip.

"What?"

"The fighting. Being on the battlefield the way you are. It isn't like one of the video games people play. You don't get to try things again if you mess up, and the wounds are real. What goes through your mind when you're gripping a gun and there are others out there trying to kill you? What's the thought process when you've got armed soldiers or Reaper creatures coming at you? What do you do?"

Shepard took a breath before answering. "There isn't time to think. You let you training and experience take over. The Alliance trained me well, Sam, and I've been doing this a long time. N7, chasing Saren through the galaxy, Collectors, Harbinger, and now Reaper forces in every system…you just…know what to do. Maybe those video games aren't too far off. Sometimes I feel like I'm outside myself looking down as I fight."

"I don't know how you fight, I don't know how you separate Alex from Commander Shepard, but you're keeping us all alive. All I can do is provide support and help coordinate. Sometimes I don't know how I do my job knowing what's out there, but it happens. What I do know is that I love you."

Taken aback by the sudden exposition and boldness, Shepard could only stare. It took her a moment to let Samantha's words sink in, but once her mind processed it, she knew it. "I love you, too, Sam. I love you more than anything." She kissed Samantha again and pulled her close, needing to feel the woman in her arms.

After a few moments of shared silence Shepard sat up in bed and yawned as she extended her arms. She climbed out and moved toward the wardrobe on the side wall. As she rifled through the clothes Samantha sat up, propping her chin up on hand. She watched as Shepard dug out a pair of tight shorts and a well-worn N7 tank top.

"Off to the rec room I take it, Alex?"

Shepard dressed and spoke over her shoulder, "Of course. I need to get my workout in before I start the day officially. There is a lot to be done today as you can imagine."

"As there is for us all. What do you think will happen?"

Now dressed Shepard walked across the room to her desk chair and sat down, beginning to lace up her shoes. "Debriefing, updates, coordinating. Depending on how those things flesh out, I may have to suit up and head out on a mission. Who knows?"

As Shepard headed toward the door she heard Samantha clear her throat behind her. Shepard stopped in her tracks and looked back over her shoulder, "What?"

"Really? No washing your face, at least? No brushing of the teeth?"

Shepard turned up her nose and shrugged her shoulders, hands out in a "Come on!" motion. "It's the beginning of morning, Sam. I'll shower and get ready properly after my workout so I can get breakfast and then begin."

"You're lucky we have the advanced technology we do. When your teeth rot and fall out, they can just grow new ones right into your mouth. Even into the 21st century, once you lost them, they were gone for good. People actually had FAKE teeth in their mouths!"

"I don't think I've ever met anyone as obsessed with dental hygiene as you are, Sam."

"Hey, I like these and want them to remain just how and where they are," she said as she pulled back her lips to show off her absolutely perfect teeth. "Speaking of, can we do something about getting me that brush that uses the mass effect fie…"

"Enough." Shepard put her hand up to silence Samantha. The other woman immediately quieted, but gave Shepard a mischievous grin. "Come on, get dressed and you can walk with me."

As the elevator opened to the third floor Shepard and Traynor stepped out, walking towards the commissary. A handful of crew sat at the various tables chatting over their morning meal. The Commander nodded to various officers and crewmen as she passed. A familiar voice called out from a far table.

"Hey, Commander!"

The two women approached the table where Joker and EDI sat. A half eaten bowl of cereal sat on the table before the helmsman with an empty glass next to it. Joker set down his spoon as Shepard and Traynor stopped next to them. Right away Shepard noticed Samantha was intentionally avoiding all eye contact with EDI.

"Joker, EDI, how are things?" Shepard said.

"Things are just fine, Shepard," EDI answered in her smooth voice. She looked at Samantha and smiled. "Good morning, Specialist Traynor."

Samantha blushed deeply and continued her aversion of eye contact. "Hello, EDI…"

"Samantha, I am detecting an increased heart rate and increased levels of cortisol and epiniphrene. Are you upset?"

"Well, it's just that I…that is to say I um…"

"It's okay, Sam," Shepard said as she gave her a reassuring rub to her lower back. "You don't need to be embarrassed around EDI."

"That only makes it worse, Alex…" Traynor looked to the floor as she covered the sides of her face with her hands.

"I do not mean to upset you, Samantha. I assure you I was rather flattered with your comments about my voice and new body. I both respect and approve of your newfound relationship with Commander Shepard."

"So do I," Joker said. "Speaking of which: Commander, EDI insists there are no cameras in your cabin so she can't see what goes on in there, but come on…you must have recorded something, right?"

Beyond mortified, Samantha let out a small whimper and blushed an even deeper shade of red.

"Jeff, this line of conversation is highly inappropriate. Also, you are upsetting Specialist Traynor. Her stress levels are high enough." EDI said as she gave Joker a reprimanding look across the table.

"Oh, come on, I had to ask," Joker said as he turned back to Shepard. "Really, Commander, hear me out. The extranet is in dire need of something new, something huge to set it ablaze: The Commander Shepard Sex Tape. You know the galaxy wants to know what goes on in your bedroom."

"Well, Joker, the galaxy can continue to wonder. I strictly operate that aspect of my life on a basis of Don't Ask, Don't Tell."

"You are referring to the 20th century human military policy of soldiers not acknowledging their sexuality if they were not heterosexual. Shepard, while fraternization is still against Alliance regulations, there is nothing against same sex or different species relationships in their guidelines," EDI said.

"I know, EDI," Shepard said. "That was a joke."

"Oh. I see."

"Anyway," Joker interrupted. "What brings you two down here this morning?"

Shepard looked to Samantha. "I was on my way to the rec when Sam here insisted I get some breakfast before hitting the training. So, here we are."

"Specialist Traynor is correct, Shepard. While a full meal is inadvisable, a small portion of protein and sugar will jumpstart your metabolism and not only help you avoid hunger during your exercise, but give you much needed energy," EDI said.

"Thank you for the support, EDI," Samantha said as she and Shepard took seats at the table with Joker and EDI.

"You are welcome," EDI said. Again, Samantha blushed and had to look away.

As Shepard picked up a banana from the nearby cart and began to peel it, she noticed Joker staring at her with a lascivious smile on his bearded face. "What is it, Joker?"

"I just couldn't help but think about how long it's been since you've had something long and hard in your mouth. That's all."

Samantha Traynor's mouth fell open and Shepard looked both bemused and shocked. Suddenly, EDI spoke up. "Jeff, if you do not leave the Commander alone I will have no choice but to assume direct control."

At this both Joker and Shepard looked at EDI with their mouths agape and eyes wide.

"That was a joke."


	2. Chapter 2

Part II

The recreation and fitness area of the ship was empty as the doors opened and Shepard and Traynor walked in. There were usually a handful of crew spread around the room using various pieces of the exercise equipment, but the two ladies had the place to themselves this morning. Shepard cast her gaze across the room, plotting out what her choices for today would be. She ran the plan through her mind, mentally checking off what needed to be done: upper body, cardio, strength and endurance. Before moving to the first machine she cast a glance in Samantha's direction.

"Sam, please don't take this the wrong, but what are you doing here? You usually aren't one to hang around this part of the ship."

"I may not be as muscled as you and Lieutenant Commander Williams, but I do my part. I run on the elliptical to stay trim and fit. Besides, you never know when I may have to punch a Husk."

"Now there's a sight I would love to see. Do you even know how to punch?"

"Hey! I may be the Communications Specialist, but I went through Basic Training like everyone else! We had a section on CQC."

"But do you remember it?" Shepard teased as she turned to face Samantha, smiling as she playfully brought up her fists in a classic boxer's pose, bouncing from one foot to the other.

"I um…I do!" Samantha said as she assumed her own fighting stance.

Immediately Shepard burst out laughing as she watched Samantha try to mimic her position. She smiled and shook her head. "Sam, right now you are wide open to at least three counterattacks, and if you throw a punch with your wrist bent that way you'll dislocate it."

Samantha frowned as she dropped her fists and looked at the floor. "Well, that's why I'm not the legendary Commander Shepard. You are such a meanie."

"Hey now," Shepard said as she walked to Samantha and playfully rubbed her upper arms. "I was only teasing. If it makes you feel better you can give me a spanking later."

Samantha looked up to Shepard, battling to keep her playful pout even as she smiled. "Don't tease me like that, Alex," she said. "I just may do that."

"Alright, alright. Let's get serious. There is still a lot to do here."

Shepard turned from Samantha and walked toward the big mats in the center of the room. She stretched her arms out and over her head, pushing them as far as they would go and feeling her muscles loosen. Standing perfectly upright Shepard raised her leg perpendicular to her body and held it up, letting out a small groan as her calf stretched. Behind her Samantha had taken a seat on one of the weight benches and watched.

Getting down on all fours, Shepard aligned her back and leaned forward. As the Commander had her rather shapely backside up in the air the door opened again. Lieutenant James Vega walked in and immediately his eyes widened. "Oh, hey, Lola! No need to put on such a show just for me!"

Shepard finished her stretch and looked over her shoulder to Vega. "It wasn't for you anyway, James." She looked to where Samantha was seated, blushing as usual. Samantha looked up to James and smiled, but her cheeks were still red.

"Oh, hey, Duchess, sorry. I wasn't trying to make things awkward," Vega said as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away.

Samantha stood and walked to James, patting the man on one of his large shoulders. She knew a lot of marines who kept their bodies in top physical shape, but Vega was more of a mountain than a man. If Vega decided to leave the Alliance he could easily get a job as the biggest and baddest defender on any football team he wanted. But right now her thoughts were more on watching the giant stumble uncomfortably from one excuse to the other. It amused her to see someone besides herself being socially awkward.

"So, James," Shepard continued as she leaned forward onto her hands and knees and brought up one leg and then the other. "It seems like I could use your help. Our dear Ms. Traynor here could use a touch up on her fighting abilities. You seem like just the man to help us out."

James looked to Shepard, back to Traynor, and then to Shepard again. "Don't get me wrong, Commander, not that I'm not flattered, but isn't that something you could do, or maybe another member of the crew? What about Garrus?"

Shepard finished her stretches and easily popped up to her feet. She crossed the mat back to the two of them and smiled up at Vega. "Because turians and humans fight differently in close quarters. Also, Garrus is always calibrating something."

"Yeah, that sounds like him. 'Sorry, Shepard, I know Harbinger is right outside, but I'm in the middle of some calibrations. Can it wait?'" James mocked the turian's voice, doing his best to sound like him. "So, what do you want me to show her?"

"For starters, that she should always be prepared for anything," Shepard said as she quickly closed the distance between them, hooked her arms under James's and in one quick motion, tossed the marine to the mat and locked his arm in place. "See, Sam?"

"Very impressive, Alex," Samantha said as she looked from Shepard to James who stared up at both women.

When Shepard looked at Samantha, James used his immense upper body strength to pull Shepard down onto the mat. As soon as her body hit the mat, James rolled her onto her back, straddled her, and pressed her wrists to the mat. James stared down into Shepard's bright green eyes as he spoke to Samantha.

"But you always have to be ready for a counter attack, too, chica," James explained as he maintained his grip on Shepard. The Commander smiled at James as she brought up her legs, hooked them under James's arms, and pulled the man backwards. Both marines popped up to their feet and assumed fighting stances as they circled around the mat.

"Each fighter brings their own strengths and weaknesses to the battlefield," Shepard explained as she ducked under a big fist from Vega and slammed her palm into his lower back, sending him stumbling forward. "Lieutenant Vega is much bigger than me and definitely wins in the physical strength department. However, I can move faster and strike quicker than he can. I can't attack outright because he would always win, but if I watch for his openings and slower reaction times, I can whittle him down."

Shepard thrust her foot at Vega from the side, but the big man caught her ankle and pushed her back. The Commander hit the mat, but immediately popped back up and went for another kick. Vega scooped her up from below, spun, and planted her back first onto the mat. Samantha winced at the impact, but Shepard didn't seem overly phased. She rolled to the side as James stomped where she had been only seconds before. This time Shepard grabbed James's ankle and pulled, causing the big man to fall in a massive heap. Right away she was atop him with her left forearm pressed to his throat and her right fist ready to deliver a massive blow.

"Okay! Okay!" Samantha yelled. "Point taken. I think we can all agree that Alex won that one."

Shepard climbed to her feet and offered James a hand. Once on his feet he clapped Shepard on the shoulder and walked to the water cooler against the wall. He took a long drink and turned back to the two women. He rested his hands on his hips as his chest rose and fell with each deep breath. "Good sparring, Shepard," he said. "One of these days I will best you. I'll figure out all of your moves eventually."

"Keep dreaming, James," she said. "I have tactics for all situations."

"Yeah, yeah," he said as he returned to the mat and looked at Samantha. "So, Sam, you ready for this? Let's talk about stance and stature first. Come on, like this."

Shepard watched as James worked with Samantha, teaching her CQC 101. The image brought back very fond memories of her own boot camp days under Gunnery Sergeant Jill Dah. The woman was very impressive, both because of her astounding 6'3" height and her experiences with both Admiral Anderson and Saren Arterius during her enlisted days. As Shepard watched, James carefully caught Samantha's fist in his hand and explained about correct posture and strength.

Shepard moved to a bench on the side and took a seat. After checking the weight setting, she grasped the handles and began to pull the bars towards herself, feeling the strain in her arms and chest during each repetition. Shepard counted off each set as she watched James continue to work with Samantha. She couldn't help but think despite the playful tone James was taking with her, that those skills may be needed at one point. There were still memories of when the Collectors took away the entire crew while she was away on a mission. If Samantha had been aboard then, if they had not reached the Collector base in time…No, Shepard shook the bad thoughts away as she stood and moved to the next machine in the line.

As she worked her shoulders and back with overhead lifts she saw Samantha was now on the elliptical, quickly running as James stood next to her, barking out both orders and encouragement. There was a part of Shepard who knew James was a damn fine marine – the man had certainly saved her ass quite a few times on missions – but she glad to see he was proving to be a good squad mate on the ship as well. Once the last set was done, Shepard pushed the bars back into place and stood, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"Okay, James, I think she's had enough," Shepard said as she noticed the visible duress Samantha was under. He nodded and Samantha eventually slowed down her motions until she came to a stop. As soon as she let go of the handlebars, she fell, but James was there to catch her. He helped her back to her feet as Shepard quickly closed the distance between them. "Sam, what's wrong?"

Samantha waved her hand and spoke between heavy gasps. "I'm okay, I'm okay, really…I…I just overdid it. I set the tension hi…higher than usual. I'm okay, Alex. I promise."

As James walked with her to the closest bench, Shepard got water and brought it to her. Samantha took the water and drank it eagerly, downing the contents instantly. Shepard brought her another and she downed it just as quickly. James kept a hand on her shoulder as she caught her breath.

"Sam?"

"That's better. I think I'm all right now. I just needed to catch my breath and get some water. Thank you."

Shepard wasn't convinced. She took a step towards Samantha and laid her hand against her chest. "Jesus, Sam, your heart is really racing. Are you sure you're all right?"

"Some mild chest pain and burning in my legs and arms," she said. "Please don't kill James, Alex. It isn't his fault."

"I know that, Sam," she said. Shepard looked to James. "Take her to see Dr. Chakwas. Just in case."

"You got it, Commander," James said as he helped Sam to her feet.

"Really, Alex, it's not a big deal," Samantha said as she stood and pushed James's hand away.

"The Lieutenant is taking you to see Dr. Chakwas. That is an order, soldier."

"Yes ma'am," Sam said, somewhat defeated. She knew she and Alex were breaking Alliance regulations with their relationship, but with all that was going on the brass wasn't too eager to exert the man power for a court martial. They weren't about to risk punishing Commander Shepard at this time, either. Still, Shepard was her CO and her orders were to be followed.

Once the two had left the room Shepard moved to the cooler for some water. She took a few more drinks and then exhaled as she walked to one of the stationary bikes. Shepard straddled the bike, set the tension, and began to ride. She stared ahead at the wall, more specifically a certain light near the top. As she picked up speed and casually noted the burning sensation in her legs her mind went to Reaper ships. When Sovereign and Harbinger both had spoken to her, a prominent red light glowed. She wanted nothing more than to shove her favorite shotgun right through that glowing orb and blast all of them back into Dark Space.


End file.
